Apparatus for positioning sliver cans beneath a planetary coiler head



Feb. 11, 1969 .1. R. WHITEHURST 3,426,390.

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING SLIVER CANS BENEATH A PLANETARY COILER HEAD Sheet of 3 Filed May 15, 1967 INVENTOR.

BY Aw 13115, M a" ATTORNEYS Feb. 1 1, 1969 J. APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING SLIVER CANS BENEATH A PLANETARY COILER HEAD Sheet 2, of 5 R. WHITEHURST 3,426,390

Filed May 15, 1967 INVENTOR. 6 501 JOE E. WHITEHUEST MM lg mww ATTOR NEYS Feb. 11, I969 J. R. WHITEHURST 3,426,390 APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING SLIVER CANS BENEATH A PLANETARY COILER HEAD Sheet 3 of3 Filed May 15. 1967 INVENTOR. JOE.- E. WmTEHuEsT ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,426,390 Patented Feb. 11., 1969 3,426,390 APPARATUS FOR PGSITIONING SLIVER CANS BENEATH A PLANETARY COILER HEAD Joe R. Whitehurst, Kings Mountain, N.C., assignor to Ideal Industries, Inc., Bessemer City, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed May 15, 1967, Ser. No. 638,261

U.S. Cl. 19159 14 Claims Int. Cl. DMh 11/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A releasable gripping means spaced between a planetary coiler head and a supporting surface therebelow for grippingly engaging peripheral portions of a sliver can to position and maintain the can in a stationary condition resting upon the supporting surface with the upper end of the can centered with respect to the coiler head.

This invention relates to textile coilers for coiling sliver from carding machines, drawing frames, gilling machines, combers and the like into sliver cans, and more especially, to an improved can positioning apparatus for stationarily positioning sliver cans upon a planar supporting.

surface or floor beneath a planetary coiler head.

As is well known, a turntable is an essential component for supporting and rotating a sliver can in eccentric relation to the rotating sliver coiling element of a conventional coiler head. A planetary coiler, however, has a considerable advantage over a conventional coiler in that the turntable and its drive means are eliminated, and it is unnecessary for an operator to lift the sliver cans during dofling and donning operations. Heretofore, suitable locator abutments fastened to the mill floor or other supporting surface beneath the planetary coiler head have served to center the bottom portion of a sliver can with respect to the planetary coiler head. However, such locator abutments have been unsatisfactory in properly centering worn or damaged sliver cans which are out of true; i.e., whose bottoms extend at an angle other than 90 with respect to their axes, or in properly centering a sliver can resting upon an uneven supporting surface or floor, because the upper ends of such cans would be located off-center with respect to the path traced by the sliver coiling element of the planetary coiler head, resulting in faulty coiling of the sliver into the can and in the sliver bulging out above the can and falling or working out of position above the can.

Many sliver processing mills equipped with conventional coilers have made the transition from standard size sliver cans to relatively large cans with a view to increasing production and reducing handling of the cans. Since such large cans are quite heavy and difficult to move from place to place in a mill, especially when they are filled with sliver, such large sliver cans are preferably provided with suitable casters or rollers n the bottoms thereof. Various types of turntables have been devised for use with conventional coilers to accommodate castered cans and to ensure rotation of such cans with the turntables when positioned thereon. However, since planetary coilers are not equipped with turntables, I have found that castered cans may be easily rotated and displaced unintentionally when resting upon a mill floor or other planar surface beneath a planetary coiler head.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide, in combination with a planetary coiler, a device for positioning and maintaining a sliver can in a stationary condition resting upon a supporting surface with the upper end of the slver can centered with respect to the planetary coiler head irrespective of whether or not the bottom of the can extends at a right angle to the axis of the can, and irrespective of whether or not the lower end of the sliver can is provided with casters.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described which includes spaced releasable gripping means in peripheral gripping engagement with portions of the can, only adjacent the upper end thereof, and with the can otherwise being free of engagement so that it may seek its own position on the usual planar supporting surface beneath the planetary coiler head without significantly disturbing the centered relationship of the upper end of the can to the coiler head. The gripping means may take various forms, such as releasable clamp abutments which engage spaced side portions of the can, and/ or positioning members provided with magnet means which may be magnetized selectively to attract and hold magnetically attractable peripheral portions of the can against the positioning members during operation of the planetary coiler head.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the first embodiment of the can positioning device of the present invention shown in association with a planetary coiler and an outof-true castered can;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view, partially in section, taken substantially along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view similar to that shown in FIG- U=RE 2, but showing the can positioning device as adjusted for accommodating a sliver can of larger diameter than the sliver can shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary inverted plan view of one of the gripping units of the first embodiment of the invention look-ing upwardly substantially along line 4-4 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view partially in section, similar to FIGURE 2, but showing a second embodiment of the can positioning device of the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation similar to FIGURE 1 showing a third embodiment of the can positioning device of the present invention in association with a planetary coiler and a castered can;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged plan view, partially in section, taken substantially along line 8-8 in FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 99 in FIGURE 8.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the planetary coiler shown in FIGURE 1 comprises a planetary coiler head 20 carried by a frame 21 whose rear portion is shown in the form of a hollow column 22. As shown, the lower end of column 22 is fixed to a planar supporting surface or platform 23 which may be secured to the floor, or which may be a portion of the floor upon which the corresponding carding machine, drawing frame, comber or other sliver producing machine is positioned.

As shown, planetary coiler head 20 comprises a sun member 30 carried by frame 21, spaced a substantial distance above can supporting surface 23 and driven for rotation about a main substantially vertical axis 31. A planet member 32 is mounted in a suitable opening in sun member 30 so the lower surfaces of sun member 30 and planet member 32 are positioned in coplanar relationship with the planet member 32 being driven for rotation about a substantially vertical auxiliary or secondary axis 33 which is off-set or eccentric with respect to main axis 31 and revolves about main axis 31 during rotation of sun member 30.

Supported for rotation with planet member 32 and about the secondary axis 33 is a trumpet or sliver guide element 35 and a pair of calender rolls 36, which calender rolls serve to draw a textile sliver S from the sliver producing machine, not shown, through the trumpet 35 to direct the same through an eccentric passage 37 in the planet member 32 for coiling the sliver S into a cylindrical coiler can 40 resting upon the supporting surface 23.

During the coiling operation, sun member 30 rotates on its main axis 31 at a relatively slow speed as compared to that at which the smaller planet member 32 rotates about secondary axis 33, with the result that trumpet 35 and passage 37 in planet member 32 move in a somewhat epicyclical path generated about main axis 31 for coiling the sliver into the can in a spiral manner substantially as shown in FIGURE 2. Further details of the planetary coiler head 20 are deemed to be unnecessary, but reference is made to my copending application Ser. No. 566,870, filed July 21, 1966 and entitled Planetary Coiler Head for a more detailed description of coiler head 20 and the means for driving sun member 30, planet member 32 and calender rolls 36 thereof.

Although the can positioning apparatus of this invention is useful in stationarily centering either castered or noncastered sliver cans beneath planetary coiler head 20, can 40 is shown in FIGURE 1 in the form of a castered can, wherein three or more s-wivelling casters 42 are attached to the bottom wall 43 of can 40. As is usual, the bottom wall 43 is spaced upwardly from the bottom edge of the substantially cylindrical sidewall of can 40.

In FIGURE 1, it will be observed that the upper end of the sliver can 40 is centered with respect to the main axis 31 of planetary coiler head 20, even though the axis of the can is shown extending at an angle with respect to the main axis 31 of the coiler head. Such angular relationship between the axes of the can and the coiler head may occur when the can is damaged and out-of-true so that its bottom extends at other than a right angle with respect to the axis of the can. Also, even if the can is a true can, such angular relationship may occur when the can supporting surface 23 is uneven or its not parallel with the lower surfaces of the coiler head members 30, 32.

True sliver can, whose bottoms extend at a right angle to their axes, become out of true due to the fact that they are subjected to frequent and rough handling in a mill as they are conveyed along the floor from place to place or from machine to machine. Such handling may cause casters of a castered can to wear unevenly or damage the bottom wall of the can so the casters do not collectively extend at a right angle to the axis of the can. The annular bottoms of non-castered cans also become worn unevenly. Usually, when a sliver can is damaged or worn to such extent that the bottom thereof is about one or two degrees out of true with respect to its axis, such a can is relegated to storage to be repaired before further use is made thereof. Otherwise, upon centering the bottom of the worn or damaged can beneath a coiler head, utilizing the prior art types of centering devices, the upper end of the can may be from to 1 inches, or more, offcenter with respect to the coiler head. The various embodiments of the can positioning device of this invention center the upper end of the can and therefore facilitate eifective use of sliver cans which may be as much as three degrees or more out of true, thereby greatly extending the useful life of such cans before they need to be repaired or discarded.

The first embodiment of the can positioning device of the present invention is shown in FIGURES 1-5 and comprises a pair of spaced apart gripping units 50, 51, each including a positioning member or clamp abutment 52. It will be noted that abutments 52 are arranged in substantially horizontally spaced relationship and engage opposite side peripheral portions of the can adjacent only the upper end thereof and at points forwardly of the axis of the sliver can, which axis should be in substantial alignment with main axis 31 of the planetary coiler head 20.

Each abutment 52 preferably has a friction surface engaging the periphery of coiler can 40, or it may be made from a suitable friction material adjustably secured to a forward portion of a gripper lever 53. Thus, each abutment serves also as a braking means. In this instance, each abutment 52 has a threaded stem 54 thereon threaded through the outer portion of the corresponding lever 53 and held in adjusted position by a lock nut 55.

Medial portions of levers 53 are pivotally mounted, for movement on substantially vertical axes, on the forward portions of respective support arms 56. Accordingly, the forward portion of each support arm 56 has a pair of inwardly projecting, vertically spaced plates 57, 58 thereon between which a medial portion of the corresponding lever 53 loosely extends and in which the upper and lower portions of a corresponding pivot pin 62 are positioned. The levers 53 are mounted on the pivot pins 62. As shown in FIGURE 5, the bottom plate 58 has a relatively large opening or slot 63 therethrough through which the lower portion of the corresponding pivot pin 62 loosely extends so the pivot pin may tilt and thereby permit the corresponding abutment to conform substantially to the angular attitude at which the corresponding portion of the periphery of the coiler can 40 may be disposed in the event that the bottom of the coiler can does not extend at a right angle to the axis of the coiler can.

It is preferred that the pivot pins 62 are positioned adjacent diametricallly opposite portions of the periphery of the sliver can 40; i.e., an imaginary line connecting the two pivot pins 62 preferably extends through the axis of the sliver can.

The rear portion of each lever 53 has a rear or second abutment thereon in the form of a roller 65 journaled in the corresponding lever 53 for rotation on a substantially vertical axis. Each roller 65 is preferably positioned rearwardly of the axis of sliver can 40 about the same distance that the front or first abutment 52 is positioned forwardly of the axis of sliver can 40. A limit screw 66 engages the rear portion of each lever 53 when the can occupies properly centered position, the screws 66 being threaded through the forward portions of the support arms 56. The abutments 52, 65 of each gripping unit 50, 51 may be spaced about 45 apart. Each support arm 56 is extensibly adjustable and, accordingly, may be formed in two sections interconnected by bolts 71 extending through suitable slots in the sections of the support arms 56. To aid in properly centering the sliver can 40 beneath planetary coiler 20, the rear section of each support arm 56 is provided with a stop member 73 which may be provided with a frictional outer surface or may be made from a suitable frictional material. Stop members 73 are preferably spaced about 60 apart and equidistantly from opposite sides of the center of the sliver can 40 and each of them has a rearwardly extending threaded stem 74 thereon threaded through the rear section of the corresponding support arm 56 and secured in the desired position by means of a lock nut 75.

In order that the distance between the forward portions of support arms 56 may be varied to accommodate sliver cans of different diameters, the rear portions of support arms 56 converge inwardly toward column or rear frame portion 22 and are pivotally mounted, as at 76, on a suitable bracket or split flange member 77 adjustaibly secured on column 22. The rear portion of each support arm 56 is provided with an arcuate slot 80 therethrough which is penetrated by a bolt 81 to secure the corresponding support arm 56 in the desired adjusted position.

Yieldable means are provided biasing the first abutments 52 toward the can 40 and thereby applying a yieldable rearward force to the can which maintains the can in engagement with stop members 73 during operation of the planetary coiler. To this end, as best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, one end of a tension spring 85 is connected to each lever 53 adjacent the forward end thereof, and each spring 85 extends rear'wardly closely adjacent and past the corresponding pivot pin 62 and is connected to the lower plate member 58 of the corresponding support arm 56. The springs 85 are so arranged with respect to the pivot pins 62 that, when the levers 53 occupy the normal or operative position shown in solid lines in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the forward ends of the tension springs 85 are located inwardly of the respective pivot pins 62 and with respect to the rear end of the tension springs 85. Thus, the springs 85 normally bias the abutments 52 inwardly against the sliver can 40 at points spaced forwardly of the axis of the sliver can.

When the can is filled with sliver an operator merely exerts a forward force to the can to doff the same and, in so doing, the front abutments 52 are forced apart from each other as the rear abutments or rollers 65 are forced inwardly toward each other. This not only causes the forward ends of the tension springs 85 to move outwardly of the pivot pins 62 and substantially reverse the direction in which the yieldable force is applied against the abutments 52 and the front portions of the levers 53, but it also causes the rollers 65 to apply a forward force to the coresponding sliver can to aid in dofiing the sliver can. When the sliver can is completely dolfed or removed from between levers 53, they may then occupy the dotted line positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. In the event that the relationship of the two abutments .52, 65 on each lever 53 is such that they may bind against the sliver can, one or the other of the abutments 52 or 65 on each lever 53 may be made from a resilient material or may be yieldably mounted on the corre sponding lever, as desired.

It is to be noted that, !by providing the stop members 73 rearwardly of the center of the sliver can, and preferably about 40 to 60 apart, it is unnecessary for the rollers 65 to engage the periphery of the sliver can when it is properly centered beneath coiler head 20. Nevertheless, rollers 65 would still serve to engage and assist in the withdrawal of the sliver can from beneath the coiler head during the dofiing operation. On the other hand, by proper adjustment of limit screws 66, the rollers 65 may be caused to firmly engage the periphery of the sliver can 40 when it is properly centered beneath coiler head 20. Thus, rollers 65 then may serve as stop means for the sliver can and the stop members may be eliminated, if desired.

The second embodiment of the can positioning device may be identical to the first embodiment with the exception that the rear abutments are omitted from the gripper levers, and the rear portions of the gripper levers may be somewhat shorter than the gripper levers shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. Therefore, the gripping units shown in FIGURE 6 are broadly designated at 50a and 51a, but all the parts thereof shall bear the same reference numerals, where applicable, as corresponding parts shown in FIGURES l5. It should be noted that, since the gripper levers 53 of the gripping units 50a, 51a are not provided with rear abutments or rollers such as are indicated at 65 in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the stop members 73 are then required for limiting rearward movement of the sliver can so it then is properly centered beneath the coiler head.

The gripper levers 53 are moved to the dotted line position in FIGURE 6 when the sliver can is dotted and withdrawn from beneath the coiler head. However, in donning a can, since the rollers 65 are omitted in FIG- URE 6, the levers 53 of gripping units 50a, 51a may be moved manually to the solid line positions of FIGURE 6 after the sliver can has been positioned against stop members 73 in FIGURE 6. The corresponding springs 85 then will cause the abutments 52 of FIGURE 6 to apply a rearward yielding force to the sliver can 40 to maintain the same against the corresponding stop mem- 6 bers 73 and in properly centered relationship to the coiler head.

Referring now to FIGURES 7, 8, and 9, the third embodiment of the can positioning device is shown in association with a planetary coiler which may be identical to that shown in FIGURE 1 and, therefore, the parts of the planetary coiler shown in FIGURE 7 Will bear the same reference characters as like parts shown in FIGURE 1, where applicable, in order to avoid repetitive description, with the exception that the planetary coiler head of FIGURE 7 is broadly designated at 20b and the sliver can of FIGURE 7 is indicated at 40b. The third embodiment of the invention differs from the first and second embodiments in that, instead of having abutments yieldably engaging the sliver can, the third embodiment of the invention includes magnetic means for centering and maintaining the sliver can 40b in a stationary position resting upon the supporting surface 23. Accordingly, at least a portion of the can periphery, adjacent the upper end of the can, is of a magnetically attractable material. Since the cylindrical walls of most sliver cans are made from a non-metallic material, such as plastic or fiberboard, the upper portion of silver can 40b (FIGURE 7) is shown provided with a magnetically attractable metal band 90 encircling the cylindrical wall of sliver can 40b.

The can positioning device of FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 comprises a pair of gripping units 91, 92, each of which includes an abutment or magnetic holding device 93. The magnetic holding devices 93 are arranged to engage the metal ring 90 of sliver can 4012 at points adjacent the upper end of the sliver can, which points preferably are located about to 120 apart with respect to the axis of the can 40b. Preferably, the magnetic holding devices 93 are of the well known releasable permanent magnet type, such as is disclosed in US. patents, Nos. 2,923,865 and 3,079,191, dated Feb. 2, 1960, and Feb. 26, 1963, for example.

As shown, each magnetic holding device 93 may comprise a hollow metal block partially encased in a plastic casing 95. Permanent magnets 96 may be positioned within the hollow metal block and may be manually shifted or shunted between active and inactive positions with respect to the outer face of the corresponding metallic block by means of a handle 97. When the permanent magnet 96 occupies the position shown in FIGURE 9, a flux field is produced at the outer face of the corresponding abutment or magnetic holding device 93 to magnetically attract the sliver can 40b into engagement there with. Conversely, by manually turning the handles 97 to move the corresponding magnets 96 (FIGURE 9) away from the front or outer faces of the magnetic holding devices 93, or to shunt the magnetic flux from the magnets 96, the magnetic flux is reduced or eliminated at the faces of the magnetic holding devices 93 to release sliver can 401).

Upper and lower extensions or bars 101, 102 on the rear portions of the magnetic holding devices 93 straddle the forward portions of a pair of respective support arms 104, each of which is provided with a plurality of substantially vertically extending holes 105 in the forward portion thereof in any one of which a corresponding pivot pin 106 may be positioned for pivotally connecting the extensions 101, 1020f the magnetic holding devices 93 to the arms 104. In this instance, a pivot pin 106 extends through a corresponding hole 105 in each support arm 104 and the lower extension 102 of the corresponding magnetic holding device has an enlarged hole or opening 107 therethrongh through which the lower portion of the corresponding pivot pin 106 loosely extends. Thus, the magnetic holding devices 93 are free to seek positions in conformity with the curvature of the periphery of the metal band on the corresponding can, and they are also free to occupy angular positions in accordance with that of the sidewalls of the silver can 40b in the event that the sidewall does not extend perpendicular to the bottom of the sliver can 40b or perpendicular to the plane of the bottom surfaces of the casters 42 on the sliver can 40b. The rear portions or ends of support arms 104 are pivotally connected, as at 110, to a bracket or flanged member 111 on column 22 and may be angularly adjusted about their pivot points by means of bolts 112 extending through arcuate slots 113 in the rear end portions of the respective support arms 104.

FIGURES 1 and 7 illustrate that, although a sliver can may be out of true, by locating the respective gripping units adjacent the upper ends only of the sliver cans with each can otherwise being free of engagement, the bottom of each can may seek its own position on the corresponding planar supporting surface 23 without significantly disturbing the centered relationship of the upper end of the can to the planetary coiler head. It is thus seen that the device of each embodiment of the invention positions and maintains the sliver can in a stationary condition resting on a supporting surface with the upper end of the can centered with respect to the planetary coiler head irrespective of whether or not the axis of the can extends at an angle relative to the main axis of the coiler head.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a textile coiler having a planetary coiler head and a sliver can supported on a planar surface beneath the coiler head for receiving coiled sliver therefrom; the combination therewith of a device for positioning and maintaining the can in a stationary condition resting on the supporting surface with the upper end of the can centered with respect to the coiler head irrespective of whether or not the bottom of the can extends at a right angle to the axis of the can, said device comprising spaced releasable gripping means in peripheral gripping engagament with portions of the can, only adjacent the upper end thereof, and with the can otherwise being free of engagement whereby the bottom of the can may seek its own position on the planar supporting surface without significantly disturbing the centered relationship of the upper end of the can to the coiler head.

2. A structure according to claim 1, in which said gripping means engaging upper end portions of the can comprises a pair of substantially horizontally spaced abutments engaging opposite side peripheral portions of the can at points forwardly of the axis of the can, yieldable means biasing said abutments toward the can and thereby applying a yieldable rearward force to the can, and stop means spaced rearwardly of the axis of the can and engaged by the can.

3. A structure according to claim 2, in which said coiler includes a frame portion spaced rearwardly of said can, a pair of forwardly extending arms carried by said frame portion, a lever mounted for pivotal movement on a substantially vertical axis on each arm, and said abutments being attached to said levers at points spaced forwardly of the axes of the respective levers.

4. A structure according to claim 3, in which said stop means comprises a stop member carried by and extending generally forwardly from a rear portion of each arm, and each stop member having a friction surface engaging the can and braking the can against rotational movement.

5. A structure according to claim 3, wherein each lever also extends rearwardly of its pivotal axis and rearwardly of the axis of the can, an additional abutment on a rear portion of each lever adapted to engage said can, and said yieldable means being connected to said levers and being arranged to reverse the direction of force being applied to said first-named abutments upon predetermined outward movement thereof, such as by withdrawing said can forwardly from between said arms, whereby said additional abutments will exert a forward force against said can to aid in its withdrawal from beneath the coiler head.

6. A structure according to claim 3, wherein said yieldable means comprises a tension spring connecting each lever to its respective arm at points spaced adjacent diametrically opposite sides of the respective pivot points of said levers such that the ends of the springs connected to said levers are rearward of dead-center with respect to the pivot points and the other ends of the springs when said abutment means are grippingly engaging the can.

7. A structure according to claim 1, wherein said coiler includes a frame, said device comprising a pair of substantially horizontally spaced arms having rear portions carried by said frame, and having forward portions supporting said gripping means thereon.

8. A structure according to claim 7, in which said frame portion is an upright column, a flanged member fixed on said column, and means adjustably connecting said arms to said flanged member and permitting relative adjustment of said arms toward and away from each other to accommodate sliver cans of different diameters.

9. A structure according to claim 7, in which said gripping means comprises at least one positioning member mounted for pivotal movement about a substantially vertical axis on each arm and projecting inwardly therefrom whereby said members each seek a position in conformity with the curvature of the sliver can.

10. A structure according to claim 9, in which at least those peripheral portions of the can being grippingly engaged are of magnetically attractable metal, wherein said positioning members comprise magnetic means and include means operatively associated therewith for selectively magnetizing and demagnetizing the same.

11. A structure according to claim 1, in which at least a portion of the can periphery is of a magnetically attractable metal, and wherein said gripping means in cludes means magnetically attracting said metal portion of the can into engagement therewith.

12. In a textile coiler for coiling sliver into substantially cylindrical sliver cans, said coiler having a planetary coiler head, a frame, and a planar surface spaced beneath the coiler head for supporting coiler cans thereon one at a time; the combination therewith of a device for positioning and maintaining a sliver can in a stationary condition resting upon said surface with the can substantially centered with respect to the coiler head, said device comprising a pair of substantially horizontally spaced releasable abutments adapted to grippingly engage opposite side peripheral portions of the can at points forwardly of the axis of the can, yieldable means biasing said abutments rearwardly toward the can for applying a yieldable rearward force to the can, and stop means spaced rearwardly of the axis of the can and adapted to be engaged by the can as the yieldable rearward force is being applied to the can to center the same substantially with respect to the coiler head.

13. A structure according to claim 12, in which said coiler includes a frame portion spaced rearwardly of the axis of the can, and wherein said device further comprises a pair of arms carried by said frame portion and extending forwardly adjacent opposite sides of the can, a substantially vertical pivot pin in a forward portion of each arm, a lever mounted on each pivot pin and extending both forwardly and rearwardly of the respective pivot pin, said abutments being attached to said levers at points forwardly of their respective pivot pins, a substantially vertically disposed roller carried by a portion of each said lever rearwardly of its respective pivot pin and adapted to engage the can rearwardly of the can axis, and each lever being tiltable relative to the respective arm such as to render said rollers and abutments capable of seeking positions substantially in conformity with the peripheral portions of the can engaged thereby.

14. In a textile coiler for coiling sliver into sliver cans having at least partially magnetically attractable peripheral surfaces, said coiler having a planetary coiler head, a frame, and a planar surface spaced beneath the coiler head for supporting coiler cans thereon one at a time; the combination therewith of a device for positioning and maintaining a sliver can in a stationary condition resting upon said surface with the can substantially centered with respect to the coiler head, said device comprising a pair of substantially horizontally spaced magnet means located rearwardly of the axis of the coiler head and adapted to be engaged by arcuately spaced magnetically attractable peripheral portions of the can, means operatively associated with said magnet means for selectively magnetizing and demagnetizing the same, and said magnet means being capable, When magnetized, of maintaining the can in a stationary condition substantially centered beneath the coiler head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,728,113 12/1955 Watson et a1. 19-159 3,221,374 12/1965 Fornes 28-21 XR 3,323,178 6/1967 Gossett et al. 19159 3,323,179 6/1967 Gossett et al 19159 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,413 6/1962 Japan. 150,539 9/1920 Great Britain. 450,096 1/1913 France.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

IRA C. WADDEY, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

